Management Spotlight: Ian Hope-Johnstone, Pepsi-Co

As part of the knowledge exchange for this year's Sustainable Supply Chain Summit, we sit down with Ian Hope-Johnstone, Agriculture Sustainability Director at PepsiCo, to get his thoughts on the big issues for 2015.

Ethical Corporation: Tell us, in two sentences, what it is you do?

Ian Hope-Johnstone: I lead the Agricultural Sustainability for PepsiCo, in particular the global development and implementation of the Sustainable Farming Initiative (SFI) for PepsiCo.

SFI is a farm-based verification program consistent with the company’s Agricultural Sustainability policy and commitment to do what’s right for the business by doing what’s right for people and the planet—what the company calls Performance with Purpose.

Sustainable Agriculture is a major focus for PepsiCo—the world’s second largest food and beverage company—as the majority of our raw materials, in terms of dollar spend, come directly from agriculture.

Ethical Corporation:. At the Summit you are speaking on calculating environmental footprint. What procedures do you have in place to measure and benchmark your supply chain?

Ian Hope-Johnstone: Activities that take place on the farm need to operate within a complementary framework to ensure the overall result is efficient and productive as possible, while acting responsibly for the environment and the communities in which the farm operates – growing productively and acting responsibly.

I would like to highlight how this can be achieved and how PepsiCo has demonstrated success in using such a framework.

Ethical Corporation: Minimising water risk must be a key issue at PepsiCo. What strategies do you have in place to minimise water use in your value chain?

Ian Hope-Johnstone: Water is a critical ingredient which we depend on for agriculture – and agriculture represents more than 70% of worldwide water use.

Global farming must work hard to ensure a strategy exists for access to the right quantity and quality of water—and this must cover availability as well as efficient use. Each must be relevant for the environment in which we operate.

PepsiCo would like to share some of the initiatives that have been successful in securing water efficiency for the growing of productive crops.

Ethical Corporation: What are the big issues to watch in 2015?

Ian Hope-Johnstone: The momentum behind addressing the megatrends that are becoming more visible to global agriculture continues – climate change, food security, resource conservation, employment practices, etc.For 2015, it will not be the “what” but the “how.”

In 2015, we expect to see collaboration and partnerships take on a new meaning, and the agenda becoming more harmonised and simplified around common content.

Ethical Corporation: In your role as director of agriculture sustainability at PepsiCo, what are your priorities for 2015?

Ian Hope-Johnstone: To ensure that PepsiCo contributes to the building momentum in global agriculture and participates in the wide range of initiatives that both enables our growing business and makes a difference in communities worldwide.

This work is consistent with our own Performance with Purpose agenda that articulates PepsiCo’s principles and values for Sustainable Agriculture.

Ethical Corporation: And finally, what will you being sharing at this year's Sustainable Supply Chain Summit?

Ian Hope-Johnstone: The opportunity to share our success and the challenges that we have experienced on our journey in Sustainable Agriculture – but more importantly how we may wish look to the future as this agenda builds.

Ian Hope-Johnstone will be talking on measuring and minimising the environmental footprint of a value chain, alongside senior execs at BASF, Lego and First Climate, at the 9th Annual Sustainable Supply Chain Summit on 18-19 November.

The Summit will feature 30+ speakers outling ideas and methods to build a secure, responsible and resilient value chain. Some of brands speaking at the Summit include; Tesco, Unilever, M&S, Ericsson, Greenpeace, Intel, Rainforest Alliance, Fairphone, Mars and many more. For more information visit here

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